Originally Posted by
Scrodzilla
Pack a wheelset into a 32x28x8" box and see how much it costs to ship it to your next door neighbor.
Shipping large packages costs money and not everyone uses the same shipping methods and/or carriers. If you owned a business that ships things on a daily basis, I bet you'd understand. My shop charges a flat rate of $20 for a wheelset (including insurance, no matter where they're going in the US) and the actual shipping charge always exceeds our designated rate.
Richard at Wabi has to eat too.
But you don't understand all bike shops are gouging their customers and living on champagne and Ferraris. Richard is probably at his billion dollar mansion right now pitting his servants against each other ; )